imaginary | karlnap

ten

nick had walked out into the late night, tears threatening to escape his eyes from the encounter with karl, not even ten minutes before. he stopped himself from going back to the boy, who had begun to cry after he disappeared from sight.

nick understood that karl was lashing out at everyone, but what did you expect from a teenager. this one was the worst because it involved nick actually getting told to leave, which surprised him more than anything. maybe it was time for him to go back to where he belonged, especially when it seemed that karl wanted him to be gone and out of his life cause he's too old.

nick didn't have a destination in mind and just let his feet take him wherever they pleased because he just needed to be alone and let karl have time to himself to calm down.

– ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ –

his feet had taken him to a location that surprised him a lot more than it should've. he stopped and looked up at the house that was so familiar to him ever since he had been with karl. it was a pretty good size house with a tan and white exterior and a porch that seemed to have been taken care of well.

"of course," nick muttered as he walked up the steps and up to the door. his hands were shaking as he remembered what schlatt had told him. he began to focus and repeat a phrase in his head. 

all of them can see me.

hopefully, they won't freak out.

he raised a visibly shaking hand to the wooden door to knock, expecting his hand to go through the door. instead, his hand made contact with the wood as a voice called out from within the home before a figure began to make its way toward the door.

the wooden door swung open to reveal a tired-looking british man who nick knew all too well.

"hey."

'nick?!" george practically screeched as he took a few cautious steps back to keep the distance between him and his friend. the screech was so loud that another pair of footsteps ran toward the door, worried that george was possibly in danger. clay had appeared behind george, stopping in his tracks when he saw the sight.

"oh my god," clay murmured, too scared to move as he thought he was also dead since he could see the texan boy.

"you muffinheads, why are you-" another voice sounded out as another man entered the room, confused as to why everyone was yelling until he saw the cause of it.

"oh my goodness."

"what the actual fuck?"

"language!"

that's the exact reaction that nick expected from his friends as he stood outside the door with the three of them looking back at them as if they were going insane.

"we're dreaming, there's no way you're here," clay decided as he went up to grab george by the shoulder, trying to snap him back to reality.

"i am. can i come in? it's kind of cold out here," nick commented as the friends moved aside for the younger male to walk inside.

"how are you not hurt? you have no scars from the crash," bad asked, remembering that he hadn't seen his friend after the crash, but only at his funeral where he had an open casket with huge scars that had been covered in makeup.

"i'm dead," nick simply said, not sugar coating anything as he looked at his friend who had been looking at him weirdly. "the only reason why i got sent here is because of karl, since i was assigned to be his guardian angel till he turned eighteen. the only reason why you guys can see me is because i made it happen."

"so you got gifted powers to help you from the man upstairs?"

"try the man downstairs," nick spat as the door shut before george and clay headed to the living room with nick and bad in suit.

"you mean?"

"yes i mean schlatt," nick rolled his eyes before sitting down, "he gave me a second chance since i wrongfully got sent to his realm, and if i do good with karl, he'll give me my life back. with me still being nineteen years old."

– ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ –

the next few hours of explaining was filled with confusion as nick tried to explain to his friends the situation he was in. it just confused them further to the point where nick gave up on trying to fill them in.

"why aren't you with karl then?" clay asked, his voice cool and collected, completely different from his voice a few hours earlier.

"he told me to leave since he believes that he is too old for an imaginary friend, according to a kid at school," nick sighed as he rubbed his face, not sure what to do. "so, i left like he told me too. just not sure what to do now since i'm stuck here for the next five years unless i let my eyes turn black."

"you don't want to lose your temper, especially in front of karl," george piped up from his position, which was wrapped up in clay's arms.

"exactly. which is why i'm going to let him calm himself down for a little before trying to go back to him," nick suggested to mostly to himself.

"maybe it's for the better," clay suggested as he watched the british man wrapped up in his arms pinch himself once more to help him signal that he wasn't dreaming. a wince sounded out as george rubbed the spot where he just pinched.

"yeah, i guess it is for the better."